EFL announce when Portsmouth will have 2024/25 Championship confirmed
The EFL have confirmed the date for the release of the 2024-25 Championship fixtures, with Portsmouth fans eagerly anticipating their first season back.
The full fixture list will be revealed on Wednesday 26 June at 9am, with Pompey fans excited in preparation for their first opponents after 12 years out of the second tier.
Portsmouth will be joined in the Championship by Derby County and one of either Bolton Wanderers, Peterborough United and Oxford United after John Mousinho’s side roared to the League One title this season.
Sheffield United are so far the only club confirmed to be dropping down from the Premier League – they’ll be joined by two of Burnley, Luton Town and Nottingham Forest.
The EFL have also confirmed that the Saturday 3pm blackout will not be in effect on the opening weekend.
How do Portsmouth tend to find the opening weekend?
Pompey have traditionally got off to a steady start to their respective league seasons, losing just one of their last 10 opening weekend fixtures.
The last time the Blues featured in the Championship – the 2011-12 season – the campaign began with a long trip to face Middlesbrough at the Riverside, snatching a 2-2 draw courtesy of debutant Luke Varney’s last-gasp equaliser.
That season also represented the last time the South Coast derby was played as a league fixture, with both matches drawn despite Pompey’s relegation and Saints’ promotion. Yes, Joel Ward and David Norris.
Pompey fans will be hoping West Bromwich Albion can eliminate Southampton and confirm the return of the league derby – although rival matches with that ferocity are rarely played on the opening weekend and are often saved for deeper into the season.
Another exciting aspect of the curtain raiser on a new season is the first opportunity to see new recruits in a Blue shirt in competitive action for the first time – and a major squad reshuffle is anticipated.
Whoever the opponent for the first on home turf, Fratton Park will be full to the brim. A clash against a titanic club at that level such as Leeds United, Sunderland or Sheffield Wednesday would be a momentous occasion.
In other Portsmouth news, Pompey are interested in signing a Crystal Palace talent.
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